Child porn convictions reach all time high

9th August 2017, 0 comments

Last year 71 people in Belgium were convicted for having spread child pornography.

Never before in Belgium were so many people convicted of having spread pornographic images of minors. According to a report in Tuesday’s edition of the daily ‘De Tijd’ a further 172 people were convicted of possession of child pornography in 2016.

Belgium has intensified efforts to tackle the issue of child pornography. Last year’s figures for conviction of those spreading child porn were double those for 2012 (35) and well up on the 64 convictions in 2015.

Those convicted of spreading child pornography risk custodial sentences of between 5 and 10 years.

There were 172 convictions for the possession of child pornography last year. This compares with 117 convictions in 2012, 149 in 2013, 158 in 2014, only in 2015 were there more (182) than last year. The risk custodial sentences of between 1 month and 1 year.

In recent years the fight against child pornography has been intensified. There is greater international cooperation and Belgian law has been adapted to match EU directives. Webpages featuring child porn can be taken off line more quickly even if they are based abroad.

Child Focus has taken on an increased role in the fight against child porn. Child Focus is a member of the network against child pornographic INHOPE and passes on reports of child pornography on foreign servers to the other members of INHOPE.

Child Focus is no also allowed look at and analyse the images it receives via its digital hotline. Previously it was unable to do so as it is illegal to watch child pornography.